Equipment for renovating pillow feathers



Dec. 2l, 1954 G wl BROWN 2,697,512

EQUIPMENT FOR RENOVATING PILLOW FEATHERS Filed May 19, 1953 IN V EN TOR.

EQUIPMENT FOR RENOVATING PILLOW FEATHERS George W. Brown, Yakima, Wash.Application May 19, 1953, Serial No. 356,671 2 Claims. (Cl. 209-28) Thisinvention relates to equipment or apparatus for renovating pillowfeathers and more particularly to such equipment designed for use with adomestic vacuum cleaner.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide improved featherrenovating equipment which can be used with a domestic vacuum cleaner toremove dust and debris from pillow feathers, rellulf the feathers andplace them in a pillow tick; which utilizes the same receptacle forcleaning the feathers and for holding the clean feathers while they areblown into a pillow tick; which is foldable to a compact condition forstorage or transportation; and which is simple and durable inconstruction, economical to manufacture, easy to use, and effective andefficient in use.

Other objects and from a consideration the appended claims in ingdrawing wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational View of a feather renovating equipmentillustrative of the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the equipment illustl'ated in Figurel;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view on the line 3-3 advantages willbecome apparent of the following description and conjunction with theaccompanyof Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a bottom plan View of the equipment; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on an enlarged scale onthe line 5 5 of Figure l.

With continued reference to the drawing, the equipment comprises abag-like receptacle, generally indicated at itt, formed of flexible, airimpervious sheet material, such as a synthetic resin or synthetic rubbersheet material or a rubberized fabric material, and tubes 11 and 12extending from respectively opposite ends of the receptacle incommunication with the interior thereof.

The receptacle has a top wall 14 of somewhat elliptical shape, a bottomwall 15 of similar shape and an annular side wall 16 joined at its topand bottom edges to the top wall 14 and the bottom wall 15 by seams 17and 18 respectively, and having its ends joined together by a seam 19extending transversely of the side wall. The side wall is provided withopenings ofrsubstantially circular shape, one at each end of thereceptacle, and a funnel shaped extension 20 is secured at its largerend to the side wall around one of these openings and is extended at itssmaller end to provide the vacuum cleaner hose receiving tube 12. Asimilar funnel shaped extension 21 is secured at its larger end to theside wall around the other opening in the side wall and is extended atits smaller end to provide the tube 11. A drawstring 22 is provided in aseam extending around the funnel shaped extension 21 intermediate thelength of this extension, so that, with the tube 11 disposed inside theextension the drawstring can be drawn to close the extension at thelocation of the drawstring and provide an airtight closure for thecorresponding opening in the side wall of the receptacle. Theconnections between the extension 20 and 21 and the side wall 16 of thereceptacle are reinforced by bindings, as indicated at 23 and 24,respectively, and the seams between the top and bottom walls of thereceptacle and the side wall, as well as the seam connecting the ends ofthe side wall are also reinforced by suitable bindings, such as biastape, to prevent separation of the wall portions of the receptacle alongthe seams.

The top wall 14 is provided with an elongated slit or opening extendinglongitudinally thereof and with a slide fastener 26 secured to theopposlte sides of this opening and effective to close the opening. 'theopening closed by the slide fastener 26 is used for dumplng t'eatners tobe renovated from a pillow tick into the receptacle 1U, and is closedafter the feathers have been placed in the receptacle and maintainedclosed during the cleaning of the feathers and the discharge of thefeathers from the receptacle into a pillow tick.

The top wall 14 ls also provided with an air outlet opening 27 ofrectangular shape covered by a exible screen 28, such as the syntheticresin plastic screen material used for providing window screens in tentsand similar structures, and is also provided with a ap 29 for closingthe opening 27 and slide fasteners 30 and 31 secured to the top wall atrespectively opposite sides of the opening 27 and to respectivelyopposite side edges of the tlap 29 in closing relation to the opening28. Adjacent the bottom wall 15 and at respectively opposite sides ofthe bottom wall, the side wall 16 is provided with openings, asindicated at 32, of elongated rectangular shape which openings arecovered by screens, as lndicated at 33, of the same material as thescreen 28. Flaps 35 and 36 are secured to the side wall of thereceptacle in closing relationship to the bottom openings, but each flaphas one free edge to provide an exhaust opening for air leaving theinterior of the receptacle through the screened bottom openings. Slidefasteners 38 and 39 are secured to the bottom edges of the llaps 35 and36 respectively, and to the corresponding edges of the bottom wall 15 ofthe receptacle and are effective to close these bottom openings in thereceptacle by holding the correspending aps over the openings whilefeathers are being driven by compressed air out of the receptacle andinto an associated pillow rick.

A piece 4l) of the same screen material overlies the bottom wall 15 ofthe receptacle interiorly of the receptacle, and the bottom wall issecured to this screen 40 marginally of the screen and also over thearea of the screen in a grid-like pattern to provide pockets between thescreen 40 and the bottom wall 15 of the receptacle for the reception ofheavier material removed from the feathers during the renovatingprocess.

A metal sleeve 42 of a length materially less than the length of theextension tube 11 receives an intermediate portion of this tube and theend portion of the tube 11 is turned back over the adjacent end portionof the metal sleeve 42, as indicated at 43, to provide a smooth,non-cutting end at the outer end of the metal sleeve 42. The sleeve 42renders the corresponding end portion of the flexible tube 11noncollapsible for a purpose to be presently describe In the use of thedevice, with the tube portion 11 of the extension 21 disposed within thefunnel shaped portion of this extension and the drawstring 22 drawn toclose the extension 21, a vacuum cleaner hose 45 is inserted at itsouter end through the extension tube 12 and this extension tube isfirmly secured to the vacuum cleaner hose by a wrap-around string 46.The other end of the hose 45 is connected to the discharge end of theassociated vacuum cleaner, so that air will be blown from the vacuumcleaner into the receptacle 10. The screened openings in the receptacleare now opened by opening the corresponding slide fasteners and theslide fastener 26 is opened and feathers to be renovated are dumped froma pillow tick through the opening provided by opening the slide fastener26 into the receptacle. The slide fastener 26 is then closed and thevacuum cleaner placed in operation to blow air into the receptacle 10,and out of the receptacle through the screened openings in thereceptacle, removing the dust and debris from the feathers and whirlingthe feathers around in the receptacle until they are reuifed andrenovated,

After the feathers have been cleaned for a sufcient length of time, thescreened openings in the receptacle 10 are closed, the drawstring 22 isloosened, and the tube 11 drawn out of the extension 21 and insertedinto an opening in one end of a pillow tick 4S, the sleeve 42 beingdisposed in the opening in the pillow tick and the material of thepillow tick around the opening therein being secured to the tube 11 by awrap-around string 49. The rigidity of the sleeve 42 prevents the string4S! top wall at respectively from collapsing the tube 11 atthislocation. The vacuum laur .is .again placed .in operation .and therenovated feathers are blown from the interior of the receptacle 10through the extension 21 and tube 11 into Athe pillow tick 48, -thereb;Vrefilling the pillow tick. After 'tl'ffdiersihave beei/,i`'llow'nfroiithereceptacle into the pillow ticlftheube' 1'1"is removedfrom -the pillow ticlean'd the"opening"i'n`thepillow'tickclosed. Thehose '45 is` now'rel'noved from' theeXte'nsion't'ube 12` of thereceptacle" and, 'after being reco'nnected to'the4 intake end of'theasjsoci'ated vacuum cleaner,H is" u'sfed `to` clean `theinteriortofth'e"receptacle through the vopening"provided by ytheslidefastener 26." After'the'u'se of the equipment hasbeen completed, hereceptacle 10 and associated extension tubes can'be folded into'acompact condition for storage ortransportiatin The"inyenti'onmay beembodied in other specific forms without'fdeparting'froni the vspirit oressential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore,to be nconsidered in all respects as illustrative and 'notrestrictive,"the 'scope'of the'invention being indicated by the appendedclaimsrather than by the foregoing description, and allcha'nges whichcome within the meaning and range of equvaleri'Cyof the claims are,therefore', intended to be embraced therein.

What islcla'imed is.:"

1'. Equipment for use with a domestic vacuum cleaner to renovate pillowfeatherscomprisi'ng a receptacle of flexible an'd air' impervious sheetmaterial having a closable feather receiving opening and atleast onescreened opening thereinforthe discharge of air while feathers arebeing' cleaned inthe receptacle, means for closing said `'screenedopening when feathers are to be blown from said receptacle into a pillowtick, a rst tubular extension secured at one end in the wall of saidreceptaclein ycoimrn'unicatiofn with the interior of' said receptacleand" adapted to receive the distal end of a hose connected to theairdischarge of. a domestic vacuum cleaner, a second tubular extensionconnected into the wall of 'said receptacle at a location spaced fromsaid first tubular', extension and adapted'to be inserted through anopening in'a pillow/"tick tofconvey feathers from said receptacleinto anassociated tick, and means for preventing the discharge 'of air throughsaid second tubular extension when feathers are being cleaned in saidreceptacle.

2. Equipment for use with a domestic vacuum cleaner to renovate pillowfeathers comprising a receptacle of flexible and air impervious sheetmaterial having a closable feather receiving opening and at least onescreened opening therein for the discharge of air while feathers arebeing cleaned in the receptacle, means for closing said screened openingwhen feathers are to be blown from said receptacle into a pillow tick, arst tubular eXtension secured at one end in the wall of said receptaclein communication with the interior of said receptacle and adapted toreceive the distal end of a hose connected to the air discharge of adomestic vacuum cleaner, a second tubular extension connected into thewall of said receptacle at a location spaced from said first tubularextension and adapted to be inserted through an opening in a pillow tickto convey feathers from said receptacle into an associated tick, andmeans for preventing the discharge of air through said second tubularextension when feathers are being cleaned in said receptacle, saidreceptacle havingia top wall provided with an elongated featherreceiving opening and a slide fastener for closing said opening, a sidewallprovided with at least one screened opening for the discharge of airfrom said receptacle, a flap secured to said side wall in position toclose said screened opening, and a slide fastener secured to said flapand said receptacle for holding said flap in position to close saidscreened opening, a bottom wall, and an inner wall of flexible screenmaterial superimposed on the inner surface of said bottom wall, saidbottom wall being secured to said inner wall in a gridlike pattern toprovide pockets between said inner wall and said bottom wall forreceiving heavy material removed from feathers cleaned in saidreceptacle.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 203,673 Cruml Oct, 8, Y1878 210,564 Sanders Dec. 3, 1878618,481 Reed Ian. 3l, 1899 2,032,579v Johnson Mar. 3, 1936 2,210,600Robison Aug. 6, 1940

